The Tunnles of Fear
by Holly Clarke
Summary: it's slightly like harper's island but i really wanted 2 see what people thought of this so i put it on here plz read


**Hi, i'm Holly. This is my first story on fanfiction and i was writing this for english coursework that i handed in today. i really want to know what you think even if its bad!**

The newspaper from Monday lay open in front of me the headline of the main story meant little to me any more;

'**ESCAPED MAD WOMAN, ****AGAIN!'**

It was only another story about how the hospital's security was slacking (as usual), we didn't care though. Fourteen lunatics had escaped from the most local hospital to Arbortfield Garrison in Hampshire. We were never lucky enough to meet one.

Across from me, in our higgledy piggledy shaped circle was Alice, the small dark haired, pretty little thing looked ridiculous today, she had claimed,

"It looked too hot outside for jeans this morning."

As she turned up at my house at midday with bare legs, a mini skirt and very low cut vest top shivering. Although she must have been thinking it was worth it as she sat on the cold field ground imbetween the two oldest boys of our six, whilst they cracked bad jokes and flirted outrageously. The lanky, nearly six foot, brown haired, Tom was to her left with the hansom, some what shorter, dark haired Italian, Josh to her right. On Tom's other side was the beautiful, shiny blonde, Scarlett, who would look great in a potato sack, but the best bit about her was that she really didn't care about what others thought she looked like, she dressed only for herself (which infuriated vain little Alice beyond belief). Next to Josh sat my now two year boyfriend, Eddie, he wasn't the best looking boy in the world but had a brilliant sense of humour and had eyes only for me, a fiery red head with an anger issue (I'm working on it).

The shadow of the trees grew closer to our small circle, as the sun sank lower and lower into the forest, the earlier beautiful blue sky suddenly clouded over,

"M-maybe we should be on our way."

Scarlett suggested. She looked worried. I remembered how much she hated storms, as a clap of thunder hit our ears shortly followed by a flash of lightning. As no one else questioned the strange order of the elements I let it slip my mind.

"If we cut through the woods we'll be back in five minutes"

Josh said whilst Eddie pulled me up. I glanced at my watch; seven o'clock. Alice scowled as we slowly followed the bounding boys into the mouth of the waiting gloom.

"We're lost."

I stated.

"No, we're not. Don't be so negative, Hattie. We're just taking the scenic route."

Josh had now been leading us through the shadowy trees for nearly an hour and we were no closer to my warm, cosy, food filled home.

"I'm hungry"

"So's the African kid I sponsor but you don't hear him complaining."

Was my sarcastic reply. Tom had been complaining for what felt like years now, his towering height and constant need for food had not failed to annoy anyone, as usual, and had cleared my fridge many times. The drenched earthy fragrance was all around us along with the cold from the pouring hard rain, howling wind and accational rumble of thunder growing ever closer. I clung to Eddie's petit soaked body, trying to regain some small amount of body heat.

As it had been comely when we set out none of us were wearing anything thicker than jeans and a t-shirt, Alice even less. With our hair clinging to our faces and dripping down out backs, and looking like drowned rats we stumbled through the forest.

Suddenly a short way in the distance I noticed a very small, deteriating brick building with a wooden door and completely surrounded by trees, it would be impossible to see it from the air.

"Look, up ahead. We could rest for a while. Maybe wait for the rain to stop."

I suggested pointing at the little building.

"Good idea maybe we can try calling someone and tell them we'll be late."

Scarlett headed for the door eager to get out of the wet. Once inside we saw that the brick box was exactly that, with only enough room for us to squeeze in and not fall down the hole in the middle of the floor with a long ladder leading down to some where I couldn't see in the darkness. I chucked my phone to Scarlett so that she could call my mother (I was the only one smart enough to bring a phone), whilst I scraped my hair into a pony tail and Alice rubbed the mascara from under her eyes, the boys shook their hair around like dogs.

"No signal."

Frowned Scarlett, just then my phone's battery died, there went the only light.

"Errgh!"

We all groaned together.

"Lucky I smoke!"

Tom pulled out his cigarette lighter from his sodden jeans; as the oldest of us (he was sixteen) he never did shut up about all his 'privileges.'

"Hey, it's way to cramped up here, why don't we wait for the rain to stop down there"

Alice suggested, pointing at the large gap in the floor we were huddled around. One by one we climbed down the slippery ladder. Tom went down first so he could make sure we were able to see when we got to the bottom.

As I reached the ground and waited for the last two boys to come down, I noticed some thing on the wall. It was a wooden, I called Tom over and he lit it using the lighter. Suddenly a gust of wind came from behind us. I thought is strange at the time as we were underground, but once again no one else seemed to notice it. Then it was light all around us and I could see as well as in daylight. The deadly silence consumed me as I walked forward, intrigued by what ever mysteries these tunnels hid, the others seemed to follow with out question, they too interested I thought at the time, I now realise it may not have been a choice.

As we reached a crossroad of chambers I noticed a small draining grate in the centre witch Josh now stood on. Another spine chilling blast came suddenly, this time towards us, the flames flicked off and back to life again in less then half a second, but it was long enough, Josh _had_ been standing at the back of our group.

"JOSH! JOSH?"

We all shouted but only our own cries came echoing back to us,

"Okay, so let's find him and get the hell out of here!"

Eddie said as we all nodded in agreement, I grabbed his hand to comfort him, but mainly for security. I reluctantly followed the not-so-brave example of Tom towing Eddie behind me.

Walking through the tunnels now was twice as scary s before we lost our first5th musty smell of the under ground passageways inflamed my nostrils and the air no longer tasted clean in my mouth. Tom, who was heading our now single file, cautious procession, stopped suddenly causing be to bump into his back, I peered around him and saw the steep staircase that would lead us deeper into the belly of this confusing maze. A piercing scream echoed towards us that was clearly recognisable as Josh.

Tom hurled himself down the staircase to follow the cry of his best friend. Eddie pushed his way in front of me and made it just in time to catch Tom's elbow stopping him cracking his head on a rock as he stumbled, Alice, Scarlett and I raced to catch up with the boys. Alice was at my elbow, Scarlett just in front of me when the lights flickered out for the second time that night. We had all stopped in our tracks, I whirled around checking we were all here, in my frantic spin I saw we were at a cross roads again.

"Alice! ALICE?!?"

I shouted, no, no, no. Not another one.

"It's okay Hattie, we'll find her too"

Eddie pulled me into a reassuring embrace, I wondered if my horror had been as clearly displayed on my face as his, probably.

Now our cause to come further and further into the menacing passageway had increased I wasn't as scared. We walked on and on, deeper and deeper but found no one. This time we approached the next cross roads gingerly, worried for my own safety as well as my three friends, however, just as we got there the lights died once again. I grabbed the two nearest bodies my blind state could manage to find. As the light came back on again a second later I saw who I had in my hands, Scarlett and Eddie were safe, as was I. But now we had to find Tom too.

Looking down the left tunnel I spotted a tiny woman of around twenty-five. She sat with her head in her hands. Rocking back and forth, she was muttering some thing illegible. Scarlett edged closer to her, looking back at Eddie and I for support. Reluctantly I followed her, dragging Eddie just behind me as he clung to my t-shirt.

"Excuse me."

Called Scarlett to the woman, her pixie cropped brunette hair stood up on odd ends from where she had pulled it almost out of her head.

"Their gone. Gone, no more, no, no. Their all gone."

She muttered quietly, I was only just able to hear her.

"What's your name?"

Scarlett questioned fruitlessly.

"We lost our friends. Can you help us find them?"

I peered around Scarlett to get a better look and join in with the questions.

"Help? Help me!"

She cried snapping her head up. She had a tear streaked, mud smeared face and red rimes framed eyes.

"We'll help you if you help us."

Eddie bargained with her.

"Okay. I'm Chloe."

"I'm Hattie, this is Eddie and Scarlett."

I offered my hand to help her off the floor. As she took it her eyes met mine. They were so breath takingly beautiful, sparkling sapphires. Though transfixed for a moment as soon as she dropped her gaze I was back.

We now made our way further into the tunnels, Chloe being supported by Scarlett a few steps behind Eddie and I. As we approached the next cross roads (feeling a little safer now there was three of us again) I noticed a small grate, about thirty inches by thirty inches, big enough to fit even Tom's broad frame. Thinking about it, I now realised every cross road had had a grate just like this. Scarlett was now standing on the grate, just as Josh had just before he went missing, and then Alice and Tom like him. The lights went off, a heard a quick grinding noise I didn't notice before although I knew then it had always been there.

The lights had been off for longer than the previous times and it scared me even more. Just then Eddie's hand slipped out from under my own. Then it was bright again.

Chloe stood next to me, we were alone together. She was squatting down, gripping the hair tight with white fists. An alarmingly smug, wide grin stretched on the paper pale skin of the face.

"I know where they are."

She widened her eyes more as she spoke.

"You'll never find them."

She stood up now, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides, coming closer and closer. Backing away I hit the cold, hard, stone wall behind me.

"W-where are they?"

"Somewhere you'll never find them."

Her eyes flashed back to the grate and then back to me.

"W-why?"

"Why not?"

All of a sudden it clicked; the paper, the crazy mutterings, the cit off hair, the wide eyes and tiny pupils.

"Your that woman who escaped the other day aren't you." It wasn't a question. I knew who she was now. She bared her teeth at me, not quite a smile. I started to panic she was only a few steps away, clearly mad, had probably killed my friends and I needed help. That's when I spotted it; I was trying to decide which passage way to run for my life down, if I could get out of this hell hole I would be okay and the police could find the others and Chloe, when a spot of yellow light caught my eye. Luckily the light was to my left where as Chloe was coming towards me head on not yet blocking my exit, quickly deciding, I dashed towards the light, hoping for a window or ladder up in to the real world. Sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me I heard Chloe's evil cackle. Getting closer and closer I recognised that it was a door, not any door, but the very one I had entered only a few hours ago.

Careful to jump the gap between me and certain death, I charged through the door into the forest. Not even stopping to realize it was now sun rise (I didn't know I had been in there _that_ long) I loped through the trees, desperate to escape that evil place. I came out in a clearing. I caught sight of Eddie's back, across from him was Scarlett one her right Tom, next to him Alice and then Josh. I stared, paralyzed and gob smacked at the group laughing and joking as if nothing had happened. Once I regained my ability to move I checked my watch; seven o'clock. I went and sat imbetween Eddie and Scarlett, frowning. Monday's newspaper lay in front of me. The sky suddenly clouded over,

"M-maybe we should be on our way."

Scarlett suggested. She looked worried. I knew why. A clap of thunder hit our ears shortly followed by a flash of lightning. A strong wave of déjà vu washed over me, surly that can't happen twice.

"If we cut through the woods we'll be back in five minutes"

Josh said whilst Eddie pulled me up. I glanced at my watch; the second hand had stopped moving around the face. Alice scowled as she and Scarlett slowly followed the bounding boys into the mouth of the waiting gloom. I followed more reluctantly…


End file.
